Cold
by ravsravioli
Summary: She was never meant to be born. Hatred obscured her, her brother grounded her, the village chased her. She always needed a purpose, a reason to fight, so she wouldn't crumble. The cold welcomed her, warmth just didn't suit her. Each chapter will be a snippet of her life from different times.
1. Chapter 1

The first chapter of Cold-

. .

The first 6 years of Uchiha Kizuna's life were peaceful.

When she was born the Uchiha compound was quiet, calm even. Kizuna was born on a particularly cold December night. All was still as the child was brought into the world. Expectant eyes on her as they cleaned the blood from the birth off of her.

Her mother, Uchiha Mikoto, showered her and her brother, Itachi—who was 4— with all the love she had. She coddled them and doted on them. Around right after Kizuna had started to walk and talk, the baby her mother had been carrying was born. They named him Sasuke.

Kizuna looked at the small baby with wary eyes. Itachi was five, she was one.

She had been the baby. She had been getting attention. A bubble of jealousy rose in her stomach.

But maybe the baby wasn't so bad?

Her mother was holding him out to her, asking if she wanted to hold her new brother. She huffed before accepting the baby into her arms. He was warm, his skin was too soft, he squirmed too much.

But he was her brother.

Her kaa-chan told her that she had to protect him, along with Itachi. The boy had nodded with a grin on his face, while Kizuna looking up to her big brother, nodded eagerly, ready to complete the task.

Her baby brother squirmed until he found a comfortable spot. He was turned into her stomach, face barely visible, swaddled in blankets. Kizuna stroked his back, but the motion was unfamiliar to her.

Mikoto smiled warmly at the pair from her bed.

Itachi quietly poked both of the small children's foreheads as they fell asleep. A silent mirth in his eyes.

. .

Uchiha Fugaku certainly wasn't expecting to have 3 children.

His first was a prodigy. He was Five and made him proud. He excelled in everything he did. Quite a child. Always had a rather mature air about him.

His second was a girl. He didn't really want a girl, they weren't as suited to be clan head if necessary. But his girl was different. She was rather goofy, he didn't like it at first but as he looked around the clan and the world around him and saw how bleak and dark it was, he wanted her to keep that goofiness, that careless mirth. He never wanted her to loose it.

His third was to be continued.

Sharingan activated, he smiled as he looked upon his family sleeping.

They looked so peaceful, and something like that was rare in the world they lived in.

. .

Three years have passed since Kizuna was brought into the world. Her father has taken it upon himself to train her early in the Uchiha taijustu style.

"Do that again Kizuna-chan, your foot was in the wrong place." Fugaku said sternly.

Kizuna huffed, "But Tou-sannn,"

Her father, Kizuna and Itachi were out practicing the Uchiha style katas. Well it was more Kizuna practicing and Itachi and Fugaku going through the moves with her, doing their best to show her what to do and how to do it.

Fugaku turned to look at his daughter with firm eyes. Itachi stepped in for his little sisters sake.

"Imoto," Kizuna turned to look at Itachi. "If you keep doing it eventually you'll get it right, eh?"

The dark haired girl nodded, "I guess," she said begrudgingly.

They went through the katas again, and this time she did them correctly. Every punch, kick, and stance shift coming to her with practiced precision, albeit a little wobbly.

"You did good, daughter." Said girl's eyes widened as she beamed.

"Really!?" Her father nodded once as he walked back to the house. Kizuna ran to catch up to him, distantly telling him how she wanted to learn a jutsu.

Itachi wasn't far behind, a smell wafting to his nose. "Smells like Kaa-san is cooking,"

"Yeah! Smells like Oyakodon!" The girl was practically drooling over the smell. "Lucky Sasuke probably got to taste some," A pout quickly settled on her face.

"Stop pouting," Fugaku said as he flicked her ear. Itachi quickly tried to stifle his laughs.

"Oww, Tou-san," Kizuna turned her eyes to Itachi. "Aniki you're supposed to be on my side!" A worried look crossed said boy's face. His sister had quite the temper.

"I think Kaa-san is calling, Imoto!" Itachi stammered hurriedly as he ran into the house. Kizuna ran after him but quickly forgot her anger as a delicious smell wafted in her nose.

She was drawn to the source.

Kizuna found herself in the kitchen watching her mother cook the food. She tried to sneak a bite but a slap on her hand quickly stamped the idea.

"Nee-chan!" Came Sasuke's voice as he slammed into his sister. "Tou-San said you guys were going to train, do you smell the food Kaa-san is cooking? It smells so good and," The rest of Sasuke's words died on his lips as Kizuna pushed a finger to her lips. Sasuke knew that meant quiet. Kizuna led Sasuke to the opening of the kitchen. Their small bodies hidden from their parents and Itachi's eyes.

"What Nee-chan?" Came the harsh whisper from the youngest Uchiha. His only answer was his sister's eyes focused heavily on the plates of food their mother was preparing.

"The food?" He whispered again, brow furrowed. Kizuna nodded once, "Hn," She pointed to the food.

"You distract Kaa-san, and I'll take a bowl and we can share it, eh?" She said with a mischievous grin. Sasuke nodded, mirroring his sister.

The second born held up her hand, remembering something her father had done, sending a signal to her younger brother. He responded, going still until his sisters wrist swiveled, making her palm face her.

He then went into action, rambling to his Kaa-san about a butterfly he saw, and a weird looking tree in the middle of the clan compound. While her brother handled his job, Kizuna went to work. She barely reached a bowl, let alone some chopsticks. When she got all she wanted she scurried back to their hideout behind the doorway, unaware of the pair of activated Sharingan watching her the whole time.

Sasuke eventually came back, grinning the whole way. His sister pulled him down next to her, laughing silently.

"I could only reach one set of chopsticks," Kizuna muttered absently. The youngest Uchiha just murmured something offhandedly as he grabbed some of the chicken with his fingers, careful to avoid the hot broth.

. .

Itachi loved his siblings.

They were the cutest, most adorable things he had ever seen. His little sister adored him, and his tiny brother adored her. Sasuke thought she could do no wrong and at times Itachi did too. It was fun to watch her temper flare, and pout when she couldn't do something.

His little brother, like his nee-chan was easily ruffled. He had big black pools for eyes, they all did. He was shorter than Kizuna, but always tried to match what she did. She always tried to match Itachi. A sibling rivalry you could say.

It had been a normal day. Otou-san had taken them out to train, minus Sasuke but that would soon change. As Itachi had been sitting in the kitchen with his father, waiting for his mother to finish the delicious smelling Oyakodon, his ears caught little whispers. At first Itachi thought nothing of it.

But then he saw a tiny hand peek out from the kitchen door frame. His brain chose then to notice that his siblings weren't in the room. He smirked, what were they up to?

Sasuke waddled into the kitchen, looking every bit of his age, and started talking to Kaa-san about a weird tree or something. Itachi's brow furrowed, this was obviously a distraction.

A messy head of black hair appeared from the door frame.

The little thing tried to sneak but failed to the counter. Itachi smiled, and kept quiet. Two chubby hands reached wildly onto the countertop, searching until they hit the sides of a bowl. The oldest looked to his father, did he not see this?

His father's Sharingan was activated, three tomoe spinning lazily as they stared at the scene before him. The Uchiha clan head's face was that of a stone slate.

His mother just listening to the ramblings of Sasuke, occasionally patting his head and smiling.

As Kizuna took her exit to their hideout behind the door frame Sasuke followed suit shorty after, little whispers sounding again.

"Those two are too sneaky for their own good," Huffed his Kaa-san, a fond smile gracing her face.

Fugaku's Sharingan flickered off as a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"In the ninja world that will do them good," He turned his eyes to Itachi.

"Fetch them," He said with a wave of his hand.

"Hai," Itachi responded.

Itachi rose from his chair and walked behind the doorframe that was his siblings' hideout. When he arrived two pairs of black eyes widened as they noticed they had been caught.

The firstborn hid his snickers behind his fist as he gathered himself.

"Otou-san wants to see you two," said Itachi.

Kizuna huffed and Sasuke cringed, both of their mouths covered in broth. Itachi melted as he patted both of their heads and walked back to the kitchen, his siblings on his heels.

Itachi went to sit and his siblings tried to follow him.

"No, you two stay standing right there." His Otou-san said with finality.

Sasuke cringed and looked to his sister, silently asking what to do. Kizuna's face steeled, a hint of a pout on her face.

Itachi melted again. How could his siblings be so cute?

"Now, why were you two stealing the Oyakodon," Otou-san said.

Sasuke seemed like he was about to say something but Kizuna quickly took a step forward, a panicked look on her face.

"It was an accident, Tou-san!" His little sister proclaimed, eyes flickering wildly in panic, a nervous smile on her face.

His Otou-san deadpanned, probably wondering if his daughter actually thought he'd believe that.

"And how was stealing food an accident when I can see broth on Sasuke's fingers and your mouths?"

"So Tou-san this is what happened-" she tried to explain but was quickly interrupted by her father. "No, no I know what happened, and the fact that you'd try and lie to me is incredulous, but since you displayed good skills for the ninja world I'll let you go. But if this happens again no training for a week." Otou-san said, eyes narrowed.

Kizuna's eyes widened at the punishment. She loves training, Itachi thought. Then her eyes went downcast as she pouted.

The cuteness hit Itachi again full force.

"Yes, Tou-san," she mumbled. Sasuke wrapped his little arms around her, "It's okay Nee-chan," he muttered into her shirt.

Itachi restrained a coo.

"The food is ready," Kaa-san said, smiling at Sasuke's actions.

"Sit at the table," he said to his two youngest.

They complied as the family ate in silence, occasional chatter filling the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

Cold Chapter Two-

 _Rikishi, A New Sensei_

. .

Rikishi wasn't expecting this to happen.

His old teammates' clan had been slaughtered, save two little ones, and now one of them was looking for a sensei.

He had been on the way to carry out his ANBU duties when he saw and heard her conversation with a shinobi on the street.

"-Uchiha?" The shinobi had asked. The girl's jaw clenched.

"Yes, shinobi, I wanted to ask if you could be my sensei until my skills are acceptable enough to take missions on my own." The girl's voice was flat, _weird for a kid so young_ , Rikishi thought. _Well her family_ _ **has**_ _been slaughtered_ , he thought offhandedly.

"Sorry kid, I don't have time to teach a brat with no manners." The shinobi took his leave.

The girl showed no sign of disappointment, but instead sat on the sidewalk, scratching her head, ignoring the people sending her sympathetic glances.

Rikishi sat on the rooftop and thought about his old teammate, and friend, Shisui. His death still left an absent pain in his heart.

He and Shisui had been friends since the Academy. They had been placed on the same team, his comrade eventually rising to be the captain of their squad. Jealousy had overcame Rikishi and he started to resent Shisui.

An action that Rikishi would come to regret heavily.

Shisui had been going through far more than the ANBU could have imagined.

If only he knew that before he died.

Shisui had tried asking Rikishi what was wrong multiple times, had tried patching up their broken friendship even more. Every attempt was futile.

After Rikishi had learned of Shisui's death, his eyes cleared and he hated himself. The self hatred led to brutally training himself into the ground, expanding his skills, making him numb to the pain.

Eventually he tried out for ANBU, he was accepted and soon was the captain of a squad, never properly grieving for Shisui.

As he looked upon his late comrade's distant relative, he thought _This is how I can repay Shisui...if only a little._ So Rikishi took out a piece of paper, a brush, ink, and began to write. _Young Uchiha_ , he scrawled, _if you would still like a sensei, meet back here at the same spot, same time tomorrow._

Rikishi put the note on the end of a kunai, and threw it towards the spot next to the Uchiha. He looked on amused, as she jumped before it hit the ground. He nearly smiled as the civilians near her panicked.

Rikishi sighed and headed towards the Hokage tower, he needed to leave ANBU.

. .

The former member of ANBU had a knack for being early. The Uchiha herself came shortly after he did. He was standing where she sat the previous day, towering over her as she regarded him cooly with black eyes.

"Are you where the kunai came from?" She asked, her face gave away no emotion. _Hm_ , he thought, _typical Uchiha._

"Yeah," Rikishi scratched his stubble, "I assume you're still looking for a sensei, kid?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hn," she grunted with a nod, she seemed to be thinking.

"Well," he looked to the rooftop from where he threw the kunai, "Looks like you've found one." Rikishi channeled chakra to his feet and jumped to the roof.

. .

Rikishi sat on the rooftop, there was a slight breeze, the sun was shining. _Nice day_ , he thought.

The little Uchiha landed near where he was sitting, seemingly unsure of what to do. The navy scarf she had wrapped around her white high-collared top was flitting in the breeze.

Why she was wearing a scarf in this summer weather, Rikishi would never know.

She had bandages wrapped around her left hand and forearm, and a black fingerless glove on her right. Tight black pants were on her legs, mesh on her calves, black shinobi sandals were on her feet.

"Sit," he commanded. She did so reluctantly, staring at him the whole time. "Let's introduce ourselves, what's your hobbies, dreams, likes dislikes," Rikishi took her silence as room to go first.

"I am Kento Rikishi, in my spare time I like to widdle, my dream is to find another purpose, I like Oyakodon and meditating, I dislike the rain...your turn." The girl blinked a couple of times before continuing.

"My name is Uchiha Kizuna, I like spending time with my brother, eating dango, and training, I dislike stupid people," she snorted.

Rikishi scratched his stubble again,"Meet me at the Third Training Ground same time tomorrow." He then body flickered away.

. .

"Saas-kun," Kizuna looked around the new apartment, "You home from the Academy yet?"

"Hn, I'm in the kitchen, nee-chan," True to his word, the dark haired boy was sitting at their kitchen table eating Oyakodon. "And stop calling me that," he said with a frown.

"Noo Saas-kun, you're getting so old!" She ruffled his hair and pretended to cry, "Soon you'll be married with kids and-" Sasuke's eyes widened,

"No no no stop right there," he said as he pointed his chopsticks at his amused sister.

Kizuna sat across from her sibling at the table. She stole a piece of his chicken, "I found a sensei," The oldest spoke with slight grin.

"Eh?" After getting a nod of confirmation he continued,

"He or she?"

"He."

"Name?"

"Rikishi...Kento Rikishi,"

"Kento?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kizuna shrugged, "Nn,"

The two fell into silence.

"What's he look like,"

"Dark brown hair, yellow-y golden eyes...slim build, sword on his back." She swiped another piece of chicken, ignoring her brother's pointed look.

"He said we're going to train tomorrow, around noon." She tried to swipe another piece of chicken, but her brother skillfully swiveled his bowl out of her reach. "Nee-chan .Get. Your own. Oyakodon."

Kizuna stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, I might drop by and see how bad my sister does,"

 _"How bad your sister does?!"_ Sasuke folded his fingers in front of his mouth to hide his smirk. Kizuna then went on to ramble about how she'd be the best ninja when she grew up, her little brother teasing her all the while.

. .

Rikishi was early...again, which led him to sitting on a tree branch, waiting for his apprentice to arrive.

After a couple of minutes he faintly sensed her chakra, then some moments after he spotted her black head of hair.

When she got to the middle of the grounds Rikishi slid off of his branch a couple feet away from her, the bag of weights he brought jostling as he landed.

"First things first kid," he adjusted he bag,

"You get training weights!"

Rikishi said with false enthusiasm,

"They'll build your speed, think fast." He tossed the bag at his apprentice.

The young Uchiha took the weighted clothes out of the bag but paused when she got the shirt out, "You got the Uchiha clan symbol on the shirt?" She questioned.

"Eh," He shrugged off the question, "I know how much you Uchiha love your symbols," Rikishi scratched his stubble,

"That shirt and the pants are tight, and I brought bandages for your other hand. This outfit is weighted 25 pounds and I'll give you two weeks before we go up to 50," His voice went louder as Kizuna went to change behind a tree, "The first thing we'll do is assess your skills, once I see what your weakest points are I can come up with a training schedule. Next week we will take 5 D-rank missions, then move on to C-ranks." Right as he finished, his apprentice walked from behind the tree she was using to change. Rikishi tossed her the bandage roll.

She was rolling the gauze-like fabric around her hand as she asked a question, "Do you really like Oyakodon?" Her eyes were still trained on her task.

"Yeah, why?" He glanced at her, mildly questioning his apprentice.

She ignored his question, instead standing up slowly and slipping the other weighted glove on.

"Well someone looks older," Rikishi mused, the narrowed eyes shot his way only brightening his amusement.

Her black shirt fit tight, it didn't have any sleeves and it stopped just above her belly button. Her high collar was gone, a v-neck in its place with mesh across the lowest part. Her navy scarf was still there, unseen bandages under her mid-forearm length weighted gloves to prevent chafing. A new weapons pouch hung off her hips, fitted black weighted pants went down to her just above her knees, a new set of 25 pound sandals that went up to her calves to distribute the weight evenly sat on her feet.

Kizuna threw a couple of slow punches, she made a sound of discomfort, "These are heavy,"

"That's the point." Rikishi ignored the pointed look threw his way.

. .

"Alright kid," Kizuna turned her attention on Rikishi, "Fire off all the ninjutsu you know," he mumbled it like he was tired.

His apprentice flew through some hand seals before her hand went to cup her mouth.

 _ ****_ _ **"FIRE STYLE, GRAND FIREBALL JUTSU!"**_

Following the girl's shout a medium sized fire ball emerged from her mouth. Soon it was nothing but a dot as it flew into the sky.

 _I've seen bigger_ , Rikishi thought as he watched the Uchiha with calculating eyes, _but that's impressive for a genin._

The Uchiha preformed three more hand seals, the last being Tiger.

 ** _"Clone Jutsu,"_**

Another Kizuna appeared, although she looked quite bored with the world. "You called?" She drawled, looking at her original. With a flick of her hand, she dispelled her copy, a puff of smoke the only indicator of its existence.

The eldest Uchiha glanced at Rikishi before premforming another set of hand seals,

 ** _"Transformation jutsu,"_**

Standing before the former ANBU was a copy of himself, scratching its stubble and looking smug.

"Alright cut the jokes kid," he took no more jutsu being performed as his cue, "Let's have a spar, see how you are in taijustu," he slid into s fighting stance.

Rikishi threw three slow punches at his apprentice as she weaved in and out of them. She was doing the best thing she could which was stay on defense since she couldn't move to her best abilities. He threw a spin-kick that connected, the Uchiha caught it as it hit her and pulled. Rikishi only moved an inch. The whole fight went like this for about 5 minutes with the former ANBU throwing slow punches and kicks, Kizuna dodging and getting hit occasionally.

"Alright spar over," Rikishi drawled as he cracked his knuckles, "Twenty five laps around this clearing, same with squats, then twenty five laps in the trees. Get you used to those weights..."

Kizuna huffed, but started her tasks.

. .

About 3 hours later Kizuna was drowning in sweat desperately trying to catch her breath as her sensei looked on.

"Every day we will come back to this same clearing, you will do the same warm up every day," he hummed ignoring the subtle glare shot his way, "We meet here three hours after the sun rises, tomorrow we'll get your chakra nature which is probably fire, and I'll teach you a jutsu. Understood?" He looked at his apprentice

She nodded once and grunted looking gaunt and tired. After the former ANBU got an affirmative he body flickered away, leaving only a couple of leaves to show he had left. After Kizuna saw he had left she collapsed to the ground tired, ready to tell Sasuke about her training.

. .


	3. Chapter 3

Cold Chapter 3-

 _Joining Orochimaru Part One: Sasuke Wants to Leave_

 _. ._

 _You won't ever get strong in Konoha,_ the Sound Four's proclamations resounded in his head. That was all he wanted, to become stronger and _kill... That man._

But his sister...

No, he couldn't leave her. That stood firm. Sasuke would have to see if she could come with him. As if hearing his thoughts Tayuya spoke,

"Lord Orochimaru also said, your sister would be a welcome asset."

Asset. He didn't like how she spoke that word, like his sister was something to use then simply throw away. His sister was so much more than that, anger flared up in him. His sister was the one that held him while they grieved for his parents. His sister was the one that defended him when no one was in his corner. _His sister_ was the one that held his hand _every day_ while he was comatose because _That Man dared_ to put him under Tsukiyomi. _Hmph,_ but theydidn'tknow that _._

Sasuke turned to the Sound Four, "I'm going to talk to my sister." He said tersely.

"Lord Orochimaru will be pleased." Kidomaru said with a creepy smile. Sasuke ignored him and started walking to him and his sister's apartment, a route he knew well. The Four followed him.

As they got closer and closer a lump started forming in Sasuke's throat, _What_ _if Kizuna didn't want to leave? What would he do then?_ He shook his head, it was too late for that now, they had reached the steps that led to their door. Sasuke rested his hand on the doorknob, _What if Kizuna hadn't gotten home from her mission yet? Then he could just leave... But that would crush Kizuna._

The youngest Uchiha sighed and opened the door.

. .

Kizuna was hungry and tired from her mission.

At the moment she was digging through the fridge, looking for something to eat. Sasuke hadn't been home when she got there, but she brushed it off, assuming he was just still training.

Then she heard the door open, Kizuna immediately went on guard, hands forming a seal. She looked to the door and saw Sasuke, her hands dropped and a smile graced her lips.

"Saas-kun! How was your training?" Her brother didn't answer, instead he walked in the kitchen, he looked gaunt, his clothes were disheveled, eyes downcast. Kizuna frowned,

"Sass-kun," her voice held a more serious tone, "What's wrong?" He hesitated before speaking,

"Nee-chan I-I," Kizuna's eyes narrowed, her little brother _never_ stuttered. Sasuke took a deep breath, "I want to leave the village," the girl's eyes started to burn, unshed tears behind them, "and I want you to come with me." Kizuna's breath caught.

Sasuke's voice became frantic, "N-Nee-chan I—we need to become stronger a-and I just don't think the village can do that," he tried to explain, "but if you don't want to go-"

"No Sasuke," she flashed back to her mother's wish to her and... _him._

 _It's you and Itachi's job to protect your brother now._

She couldn't protect Sasuke from a village he wasn't in. He was right anyway, when they got to a certain point of strength the village would put them on lock, becoming afraid of what _they_ could become. Just like they did to their clan. One thing that made her hate the village.

So she came to her decision, she squeezed Sasuke's shoulder to steel herself.

"You're right Sasuke," his eyes widened, "We won't get any stronger here," She squeezed his shoulder tighter, then pulled him to her in a tight hug. "My Saas-kun is growing up isn't he..." She spoke sadly. She remembered when he came home with a smirk on his face, holding a hitai-ate. She laughed brokenly and stroked his hair. Tears that weren't hers wet her shoulder.

"What about Rikishi? What will you tell him?" Kizuna's grip tightened around Sasuke, her back went rigid as she responded, "He was killed during the invasion Saas-kun... I took his sword...its name is Kizuato." Towards the end of her sentence her voice got watery and hoarse. Actually saying that he had died made it real, the sensation feeling like a white hot iron burning through her heart.

The sword on her back suddenly felt a hundred times heavier as her eyes burned fiercer as she remembered him getting cornered by those Oto and Suna-nin. She had captured them all in genjutsus hellish enough to induce mental illness in her panic. Even then then the damage was still done, they had pierced his lungs and she was no medic-nin. She watched him die, his last words tore her heart, and his death awakened her Mangekyou. She hated it.

Then Sasuke hugged Kizuna tighter and spoke the same words he had so many years ago,

"It's okay Nee-chan." The tears flew even faster from Kizuna's eyes, she believed her little brother too. As long as they got stronger they'd be fine, and they couldn't get stronger in this village. She sighed tiredly and slowly released her brother. He studied her with red eyes, two tomoe spinning intently.

"The Mangekyou?" Sasuke questioned, "Yours are pretty."

Kizuna smiled brokenly, "I hate them Saas-kun," She untied her hitai-ate, "I'll give them to you when you get yours," Sasuke sighed, clearly conflicted.

"Let's go,"

. .

For the second time in his life Sasuke had been _terrified_.

Telling his sister he wanted to leave was... It was the hardest thing he had _ever_ done.

When he spoke the words her face _crumbled_ , and her eyes looked so gaunt. Then when her Sharingan slipped on from the stress, all the emotion in them were _magnified_. Her three tomoe were spinning so lazily, like they had no purpose. Her eyes projected the hurt and pain to his very soul.

When he saw her breath catch, the Uchiha desperately tried to explain, trying to soothe his sister. But then she interrupted him and her eyes became distant. He looked on in confusion waiting for her next words, the tomoe spinning a little quicker as she thought.

Then Kizuna's eyes focused again, and she grasped his shoulder. Sasuke looked at her hand then back at her, confused. Then she said the words that relieved Sasuke on so many levels, that he was right and that they couldn't get any stronger in Konoha.

Then she did something she hadn't in so long. She hugged him, his arms wrapped around her middle and he relaxed. He couldn't keep his emotions wrenched back, and tears slipped his eyes.

Then Sasuke remembered, what about her sensei? But then he asked and he regretted it, Kizuna's back went rigid, and she told him of his death. Soon after he felt the top of his head damped, and Sasuke's heart tore in two.

It _killed_ him to see his sister so... So sad and...just defeated. Seeing his usually high-handed sometimes even domineering, exuberant, funny sister so down? It just didn't sit right, it wouldn't with anyone who knew her.

He just hugged her tighter and told her it would be okay, the words feeling familiar on his lips for some reason.

She sighed and slowly let him go. The first thing he noticed were the Mangekyou. _They're pretty_ , he thought, not realizing he spoke his thoughts.

They were big black curvy shuriken, circling around a black pupil, a tiny line of blood red discerning the curvy shuriken from her pupil. Unlike her regular Sharingan which were either pale red or bright maroon, these held the color of that of blood. Created to kill and take lives.

When she said she hated them and that she'd give them to him, his thoughts became conflicted. On one hand his sister would eventually be rendered blind and on the other hand he'd have the Eternal Mangekyou and would be able to get his revenge. Sasuke just opted not the think about it.

Kizuna untied her hitai-ate and Sasuke knew she was ready to leave.

"Let's go."

. .

The first thing Kizuna did when she stepped outside was switch to the version of herself that people who weren't Sasuke saw.

The version they saw was the broody, no emotion showing, sadistic girl who gave off an intimidating, domineering aura.

This was the version of her awakened by _him_ , Itachi on that fateful day he chose to take the lives of their family... Of the Uchiha. Itachi awakened the hatred the Uchiha were feared for. A hatred so great it tinted her chakra. She _hated_ her older brother, she _hated_ him.

The second thing she did was notice who was waiting outside their apartment. A pink haired girl, a creepy looking tan guy with a pony tail, a fat orange haired dude and a girl or was it a boy? With hair the color of a mop. Then she noticed the purple ties around their waists.

She turned to her brother with a raised eyebrow. _Orochimaru?_

He shrugged and rubbed his arm. _Strength._ Sasuke responded in their unspoken language. Kizuna just rolled her eyes.

The Sound Four started walking towards the walls of Konoha, the two siblings in tow.

The mop headed-nin started talking about Otogakure and 'Lord Orochimaru's orders' Kizuna couldn't care less about what he was saying. But he said something that sparked her temper and caught her attention,

"-maybe we could show your sister how powerful the curse marks are?" He chuckled creepily, Kizuna fixed him with a stare, Sharingan spinning dangerously,

"His sister doesn't need to see anything," she spoke, venom laced in her tone, "Her hatred fuels her just fine." The middle Uchiha's hand moved to her sword hilt. Sasuke just kept walking nonchalantly, with his hands in his pockets, just like nothing was happening. Kizuna knew he was laughing on the inside.

She droned out whatever the mop-nin started raving on about.

. .

They had reached their destination.

The walls of Konohagakure stood tall, intricate fuinjutsu lining it. They were just about to jump when a distressed wail broke through the silence,

 _"SASUKE!"_ The pink head of hair that was Haruno Sakura.

She lunged for Sasuke pleading, even begging for him to stay. When she couldn't get him to accept to go back to Konoha, she turned to Kizuna,

"Please convince him to stay," she stammered, "You're the only one who can, _please_."

The middle Uchiha's Sharingan was activated, she took one look at Sasuke then her gaze flickered back to Sakura.

She directed all her focus to her,

"Sakura," she spoke lightly, she could see the moment her eyes fell prey to her own, completely enraptured. Then Kizuna pushed her chakra enforced will onto the girl. She could see her will infuse with hers, and now she could take action.

Kizuna faltered her step and spoke one soft word,

" _Sleep_."

The pink haired girl followed her exact movement and passed out cold.

The Sharingan had the ability to hypnotize, something a lot of people overlooked. The thought made Kizuna inwardly smile, but the thought of who helped her acquire the skill killed her slight cockiness.

Kizuna jumped the wall,

"You guys still coming?" She asked languidly.

The five of them then followed suit, Sasuke muttering a 'you have to teach me how to do that'.

. .

She and Sasuke had made it.

Somewhere along the way they had ditched the sound four, leaving them to deal with the Uchiha Recovery Team.

Kizuna felt no remorse.

Sasuke had fought Naruto head on, the whole time his older sister just occupied a branch, not interfering because she just felt like it was is battle.

On their way to Oto the siblings sparred frequently. At the time, their top points were taijustu. Kizuna sat with her brother and helped him home his Sharingan.

But now they were here about to face a new challenge. Kizuna was exited to train, Sasuke elated at the chance to get stronger

. .


	4. Chapter 4

It was sunny, the grass was green, and the breeze was running across Fire Country. On days like this Rikishi should be reclining in his cheap rocking chair on his porch. Instead, he was with his apprentice and cousin for the evening.

Kizuna was drawn taught but still somehow managed to look relaxed, as per usual. The downward shadow cast on her face made her features look more 'set' than usual, (if that's even a thing, Rikishi added) and the blonde felt as if someone her age shouldn't have that much of it in her face, even if it wasn't portrayed through wrinkles.

"Anooo, Rikishi-teme why'd you call me here again? I know it has something to do with training but, ano... neither one of you is doing anything," The boy finished with a puzzled expression.

Ahh, that was Ryuu, Rikishi's cousin. He was indignant but mellowed out just enough, and his mood wouldn't be dampened by the Uchiha in front of him. He was a seasoned genin, aged fifteen years.

Perfect training partner, and also a perfect candidate to be a friend, or something of the sort (considering age difference), to his apprentice. Her whole world was mostly Sasuke, with Rikishi slowly becoming more than just a blip on her radar. He could tell... not that that pleased him or anything. But back to the topic at hand—Kizuna needed a friend. Not her brother, not her Sensei, but someone she wasn't obligated to interact with.

Cough, insert Ryuu—

That and Kizuna needed to hone her Sharingan... and Rikishi was feeling lazy, probably had something to do with this porch weather.

"Ne... sorry Ryuu-kun," Rikishi scratched his growing stubble, "This is my apprentice, Uchiha Kizuna. Kizuna, this is my cousin and your new sparring partner, Kento Ryuu. Shake hands and make nice." That last part was for Kizuna, she was polite but tended to be somewhat robotic at times.

The girl scoffed almost undetectably at Rikishi, and extended her hand to Ryuu.

"Hello Uchiha-hime, my name is Ryuu, aged fifteen years. Pleased to meet you." He said with a slightly amused expression.

The girl narrowed her eyes at the black-haired boy, "Hello Ryuushi-dono, I'm Kizuna, aged eleven years. Pleased to meet you." She managed to look quite smug with herself despite barely changing her expression. Ryuu's brow furrowed as he released the girl's hand.

"It's Ryuu, Hime." He put his hands on his hips as he silently analyzed the Uchiha.

"Alright... Ryuushi-dono."

Rikishi laughed at his apprentice's flimsy attempts at humor, oblivious to his cousin's indignant outburst. When the former ANBU caught his breath (his two companions were giving him looks by then) he proceeded to explain what he wanted from them for the day.

"Ano, Kizuna, you awakened your Sharingan last week, yes?" She nodded and Ryuu gave a teasing 'wooaaah' that made the girl roll her eyes. Rikishi smiled, seemed like his plan was working. "Well I had a friend back when I was a young shinobi, and he told me the Sharingan took some getting used to. So today, you're gonna practice with your dōjutsu, and Ryuushi-kun here," Rikishi ignored the whispered 'baka', "is gonna help you by being your sparring partner."

. .

Ryuu had many thoughts swirling in his head at the moment. He analyzed the Uchiha-hime. Her posture was straight and relaxed, while she looked at her surroundings with guarded eyes. At first glance she looked unfriendly, as her face held no specific expression.

When he heard her slight attempt at teasing, he inwardly grinned. She was just a eleven year old who had become recluse because of trauma. He rolled his eyes in his mind, him and Rikishi-teme would bring her personality out. It might take a minute but they would. That's probably another reason why Rikishi-teme brought him here. He could've sparred with the Uchiha-hime, but he brought Ryuu along because he was lazy, and he wanted Uchiha-hime to have a friend.

On the other hand he was ecstatic to learn about this dōjustu, the Sharingan. He had heard a little about it from his Hyūga friend, Shin, and also through him he gathered all the information he could get on the Byakugan.

He'd never admit it to anyone, but Ryuu loved learning new things.

It's how he made friends and acquaintances so easy, he just naturally wanted to know about a person he didn't know. He was greedy, in a sense.

"Activate your Sharingan."

Ryuu's skin itched in anticipation. The Uchiha-hime blinked and for a second, Ryuu's whole world was drenched in red. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her eyes. In an instant of self-control he shook his head furiously, effectively tearing himself from the trance.

Uchiha-hime's eyes were a shining ruby color with one... comma looking thing spinning around her black pupils. Yeah, way different from the Byakugan. Ryuu drew his tanto and watched for Uchiha-hime's reaction. She didn't give his weapon a second glance as she slid into a fighting stance. Ryuu _swears_ he saw her smirk, so she's arrogant too (he scoffed despite finding the trait endearing).

Sliding into his own stance, the Kento Clan member waited for his older cousin to speak.

"Begin!"

Despite the match starting, the girl didn't move an inch. Deciding to test the Sharingan, Ryuu ran full speed at the Uchiha and slashed at her neck. She ducked down, and the boy preceded to throw a barrage of attacks (below his full speed of course) just to test the waters. Uchiha-hime dodged but the way she did was odd. She'd watch the blade come towards her, then dodge in a frantic manner.

Although as the moments went by, her movements became more fluid. So, Ryuu decided to up the anti. His attacks became quicker, and his combos became more intricate. Surprisingly, Uchiha-hime kept up. She spun and wove deceitfully out of his blade's path, and once again, Ryuu swears he sees her smirk.

"No Sharingan!"

Quickly, a wicked grin worked its way across Ryuu's face.

Uchiha-hime's dodges and evasions became less polished and more frantic, and then, his tanto tasted her blood. It was a slash that barely connected, but left it's mark on her right cheek.

"Sharingan!"

And then, those flawless, polished evasions were back. As if that wasn't enough, seemingly by the second she was getting more acclimated to the Sharingan. Soon she was deflecting his tanto away by the blunt edge with her hands. Then suddenly, she did a backwards handspring, and kicked his tanto out of his grip.

She stood there, calm posture back. She was smirking, Ryuu could see it clearly now. Her ruby eyes laughed at him, she was breathing hard, while the injury he gave her bled, and that was enough for Ryuu. Uchiha-hime looked faintly evil in his opinion, as she stood there, dressed in all black, with her pale skin and taunting ruby eyes.

In an instant, Rikishi-teme was by her side, donning a handkerchief from Kami-sama knows where, and wiped the blood from her cheek. He looked at the now blood-stained cloth, and sat it on the girl's shoulder.

"Alright I think that's enough," offhandedly, Ryuu watched the girl pick up the handkerchief, and burn it (he notes that her chakra nature was fire).

"Now let's assess the genjutsu aspect."

"What do you mean genjutsu aspect!?"

. .

Sasuke yawned, and shoved his hands in his pockets. They didn't do anything particularly exerting today in the Academy, but he just felt really tired. Being watched by girls and hounded by Naruto-teme all day did that to you. He walked out of the doors, but before he could even get started on his usual route home, he was suddenly greeted with the image of his sister. Her familiar, calm posture instantly washed a sense of security over him. A charred smell wafted around her, telling Sasuke that she had body-flickered.

She lifted her hand in an impish wave, "Ne... hey Sasuke," the side of her mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin, and reluctantly Sasuke returned it. He waved back, and they began walking.

"Couldn't you just Shunshin us home, nee-chan?"

"It'd make you feel sick, and besides it's nice to feel the breeze in your hair," she looked up at the evening sky, "and the sun on your skin." Sasuke grunted in protest, and jumped slightly when something bumped into his side. He looked down and saw the culprit, a blade handle, protruding from Kizuna's lower back.

Without thinking, he grabbed it, but before he could pull it out of the scabbard his sister's hand was on his, and she was glaring at him. He noticed an angry red scar on her cheek. Sasuke felt his temper flare.

He let go once her glare got sharper, "You could've just asked." She chastised. Sasuke just shrugged, "Rikishi-sensei bought it for me." She explained. He crossed his arms, and his body language became more closed off. Kizuna noticed.

"What, do you want one?"

"Where'd that scar come from?"

"Training today."

"So Rikishi gave it to you."

"No, I was sparring with his cousin and I wasn't fast enough to dodge it." She said hotly, they were alike in that way, neither liked to be inadequate. With that, the youngest Uchiha's anger melted away.

"Can I drop out of the Academy, like you?" Kizuna frowned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"No."

"Why!? You did and you're fine!" Sasuke shouted indignantly.

"I did it because I had to. I did it for you, Sasuke. I did it to provide for us." She said, her voice was void of emotion, but Sasuke could see the sadness in her eyes. He grudgingly accepted that he appreciated her sacrifice.

"We're going to Rikishi-sensei's for dinner, by the way."

The youngest Uchiha huffed in displeasure. He had never met his sister's sensei, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but if he was the one that got her this strong, he must be worth it.

. .

 _Knock Knock Knock._

A little ball of nervousness wound up in Sasuke's chest. The apartment door swung open, and a tall, broad-shouldered honey blonde man stood in the doorway. He had sharp golden eyes, a face dusted with stubble, and hair that curled upwards.

First he looked at Kizuna, then down at Sasuke, and suddenly he felt small.

"Evening, Rikishi-sensei," Kizuna gestured towards her brother, "this is Sasuke, my brother."

Rikishi nodded at Sasuke in acknowledgment, "Your sister's talked about you, Sasuke-kun. It's nice to finally meet you." He finished with a warm smile.

"It's nice to meet you too, Rikishi," Kizuna elbowed him, "Rikishi-oji-san." He reluctantly added.

The man chuckled, and gestured for them to come in. When he stepped in, Sasuke was instantly greeted with the smell of beef miso ramen. The apartment was small, but that gave it a homey feel. A dining area was to the right, with a living space to the left. A kitchen was situated behind the dining area, and one door could be seen in the back wall (which Sasuke assumed to be Rikishi's bedroom).

As Rikishi walked into the kitchen, he gestured towards the dining table, and told them to sit. Kizuna sat in the chair next to the head of the table, and Sasuke wasted no time in sitting next to her. Subconsciously, as he grew more anxious, his shoulders rose and his body language became increasingly stiff. Quickly picking up on this, his sister reached over and grabbed the boy's neck and pulled him into a side hug.

"Calm down, Saas-kun!" She said, as if she couldn't believe he was nervous in the first place.

Sasuke lightly pushed her off him, half irritated that she called him that, and half irritated that she calmed him down.

"If you're gonna be like that, at least don't be nervous, be wary. Nervousness leads to fear, but wariness leads to action." She continued lowly, and punctuated her point with a poke to the side of his head. Sasuke scoffed, this is why he wanted to drop out of the Academy. Kizuna was out learning things and getting stronger every day, while Sasuke was in a classroom, learning about who the second Hokage was and what _x + y_ equaled.

"Would've never learned that in the Academy..." The youngest Uchiha said sarcastically. Kizuna huffed, and after a moment she turned to face him, her face was smoothed into a indifferent expression but her eyes betrayed her. Sasuke inwardly smirked, he had her.

"I'll think it over, and talk to Rikishi-sensei about it," immediately, Sasuke's stone expression broke, and made way for a triumphant smirk, " _but,_ even if Rikishi-sensei gives the okay, the only way I'll let you drop out is if you have at least one friend." Friend? Why would he need a friend? He had Kizuna.

"I know what you're thinking, Sasuke-kun," she said with an eye-roll, "But what if I died?" Sasuke's body instantly flooded with anxiety, "Even though I'm gonna do my absolute best to be strong enough to make sure that _doesn't_ happen, it still could. I wouldn't want you to just be alone. Rikishi-sensei would be there for you, but that's not the same as having a friend. At least I think." Sasuke frowned, that was reasonable, but he didn't have to like it.

"Ne... I'm back, kiddies." That was Rikishi, he was carrying four soup bowls, while still managing to look calm. He sat them down in their respective places, and rubbed at his stubble. "And for the record, Sasuke-kun here would be alright if he dropped out of the Academy. I'd just have to approach the Hokage about taking him under my wing also. Kizuna, you could catch him up on anything he doesn't know, and we would get him to a place where he could go on missions as soon as possible." A sly smile made its way to the man's face, and he chuckled, "Although, you'd still have to get a friend, Sasuke-kun-"

 _Knock Knock Knock._

 _"Ne...Rikishi-teme! Lemme in, I'm starving, baka!"_

Whatever Rikishi was gonna say stopped right there, his facial expression soured, but the ghost of a smile made its way to his face.

"Pesky." He walked away to answer the door.

"That's Ryuu, Sasuke," she shrugged, "But you can call him, Yuushi-chan."

A black haired boy walked over, and sat in front of Sasuke. He had hair similar to Rikishi, with sharp honey eyes like his too. His whole energy seemed languid and calm (like Rikishi). Obviously, they were related.

"We meet again, Uchiha-hime." He said slowly. A sly smile sat on his lips. Uchiha-hime?

"Ryuushi-dono, it's nice to see you." Kizuna said indifferently.

"Oh? And who's this?" Ryuu was looking at him like he was a pleasant surprise, and suddenly, Sasuke wanted to raise his eyebrow.. but he didn't, because only his sister sees him do that.

"My name is Sasuke."

"Sasuke, Sas, Sas, Sas...more like Saucy-boy to me." _Saucy-boy?_ The youngest Uchiha was absolutely mortified. He looked over at his sister, her eyebrow was raised as she looked down at her ramen, most likely holding back a grin. Sasuke frowned, and turned back to Ryuu.

"I assume your name is Yuushi-chan, right?" At that moment, if he was home, Sasuke would have laughed. Ryuu's whole expression dropped, and he looked wholly unimpressed. Rikishi was doubled over in laughter, and Kizuna was grinning now. Sasuke smirked, and inwardly thanked his sister.

" _Riiiiight._ Rikishi-teme are you gonna stop laughing so we can eat?" Ryuu said, a little irritation seeping into his voice. A couple more chuckles escaped the teacher before he finally calmed down, and nodded. A chorus of ' _Itadakimasu'_ s rang through the kitchen, and everyone proceeded to dig into their meal.

After a couple minutes, light conversation began, and Sasuke learned that the Kento's were actually related to the Nara's through Rikishi's great-great-grandad. He learned how Kizuna was finally working on her Sharingan, and how Rikishi thought she was a prodigy at it. He listened to the three shinobi converse about fighting tactics, different ways to string an array of kicks together, and nature-chakra oriented ninjutsu. Throughout the whole conversation, jokes were cracked, and Sasuke found himself wanting to laugh.

As the ramen settled in his belly, the room felt warmer as he listened to the conversation. He leaned his head back on the chair, and slumped down just a tad, as his eyelids drooped lower and lower until- what! He shook his head furiously, and frowned deeply. Kizuna woke him up by shoving two-fingers into his neck, nail first. He narrowed his eyes at her in irritation, and she chuckled.

"It's time for us to go, Sasuke, calm down."

"Leaving already?" Asked Yuushi-chan. He ran a hand through his curly hair as he yawned, and stood up from his chair. Rikishi stood up too, and walked them to the door.

"Ne... meet me at the gear store tomorrow, Kizuna-chan." Mumbled Rikishi.

"See ya tomorrow, Rikishi-sensei. Thanks for dinner. Bye, Ryuushi-dono."

Rikishi waved his hand dismissively, and his cousin held up a peace-sign.

"Ne, see ya round, Uchiha-hime, Saucy-boy." Ryuu drawled.

Sasuke threw his hand up as he and his sister walked away, and called out, "Yuushi-chan, Rikishi-oji-san."

Kizuna laid a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly they were home, but Sasuke felt like he needed to puke.

"You'll get used to it."

. .

They walked in the door, and Kizuna was quickly assaulted with the fresh, cinnamon smell of her and her brother's house.

Sasuke immediately went to his room, a little too quick for Kizuna's tastes,

 _"Take a shower!"_ A loud, angry groan sounded from the back of the house, _"I'm tired!"_ Sasuke fired back hotly, but the middle Uchiha knew he'd do it.

She walked back to her room to take a shower of her own. Her room wasn't anything special, seeing how she was barely in it. It was painted a light gray, with pictures of her and Sasuke scattered on one wall. A huge wardrobe sat on the wall across from it. It held all of her clothes, her underwear, shoes and weapons. A small bed sat against the back wall, and was lined with black sheets and warm blankets.

Kizuna took her tanto off her waist, and sat it on her bed. She then went and pulled out some loose black shorts, a white T-shirt, and some underwear from her wardrobe. Then she stripped and threw her dirty clothes in a hamper in the corner.

She proceeded to walk into the bathroom, unbothered by the cold tile. The pale girl sat her garments on top of the toilet, pulled out a couple of cloths to wash and dry with, and cut on the water. When the temperature was to her liking, she hopped in.

As she washed she thought about the night. She could tell Sasuke had a nice time, and that made her genuinely happy. He needed to interact with people, seeing as he made no effort to do so in school, besides that Naruto boy he talked about.

Sadly, he began asking about dropping out of the Academy today. She'd let him do it in a heartbeat... if she wasn't worried about him having friends, or at least one! She huffed, he needed more social skills, so she'd keep doing her best to bring him around Rikishi-sensei and Ryuu. Maybe she'd even tell him to invite Naruto over for dinner. One thing was for sure though, Sasuke was set on dropping out of the Academy, so now it was just a matter of when. Something else they had in common...

Finally, Kizuna turned off the water with her foot, and stepped out of the shower. Immediately, she grabbed the towel and ran it over her body and now clean hair.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she rolled her eyes at how much she resembled Sasuke and... Itachi.

Her bangs hung in, and framed her face. Her black eyes stood out against her porcelain skin, and her aristocratic nose tied everything together... almost exactly the female version of Sasuke, but with long hair. She couldn't compare herself to Itachi- _Itachi, Itachi, Itachi!_

Suddenly she was angry, and her eyes weren't black anymore.

The angrier she got, the faster those tomoe spun around her pupil. She grimaced as hot tears began to roll down her cheeks, and her blood boiled as hatred ran through her veins. Her head jerked down as she looked at her feet, and her mouth opened in a silent scream, _"Why did you do it?"_ She felt like training, she wanted to _kill_ something, why'd he have to leave them all _alone_!?

She shook her head profusely, and furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks. No, they'd survive without him. Her and Sasuke would be strong. Strong despite what he put them through.

The Academy drop out imagined what her sensei's reaction would be, _"Ne, Kizuna-chan, calm down."_ He would say, and the girl found herself laughing. She sighed heavily, and pulled on her clothes after rubbing oil on her body.

The middle Uchiha walked out of the bathroom, out of her room, and then she entered Sasuke's room, which was conveniently next to hers.

. .

His room was much like hers. It was painted a darker grey, but the set up was the same. Her younger brother was laying in his bed, facing the wall.

She sat down on the edge of his bed, and slowly, he turned to face her. In an attempt to see him better in the dim light, her Sharingan activated. Sasuke gave her a weird look for a split-second.

"Did I wake you?"

"Almost," he said tiredly.

"You have a good time tonight?" She asked quietly.

For a couple moments, Sasuke didn't say anything, "Yeah."

Kizuna ran a hand through her brother's bangs, they had grown out quite a bit, just like hers. "We're gonna need haircuts soon, Saas-kun." The nine-year-old only responded with an unintelligible grunt, he was falling asleep by the second. Kizuna smiled softly, stood up, and walked to the room doorway.

"Maybe you should invite that Naruto kid over for dinner..."

Suddenly, Sasuke was fully awake.

 _"What!?"_

 _. ._

 _:)_


End file.
